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Thread: Camera Rigidity

  1. #11
    All metric sizes to 24x30 Ole Tjugen's Avatar
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    Mar 2002
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    Camera Rigidity

    I have recently replaced my Technika III 5x7" with a Gandolfi Traditional 5x7", and feel that the two are about the same in terms of stability. The Gandolfi has no front swing, but it does have better front tilt. Max bellows extension is a bit less, but the minimum is less too - so I can use shorter lenses with more movements.

    I have looked at Ebony, and handled two different 4x5" models. IMO, the Gandolfi is a far more rigid (and rugged) camera.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Feb 2004
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    Calabasas/Malibu, California
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    Camera Rigidity

    An umbrella and the AWB Enterprises Wind Stabilizer Kit. The kit connects the tops of the front and rear standards to make the setup solid. I use it on my Canham DLC45. It does require that you place one small screw hole in the top of each standard. (I'm not associated with the manufacturer except as a customer.)

  3. #13

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    Camera Rigidity

    Another wind consideration is how tall is the sail -- oops, I mean bellows. ;-)

    As a rough guide, the bigger the lensboard, the taller the bellows. The taller the bellows, the better it will catch every wisp of wind.

    Have you ever handled a monorail? In general they are easier to manipulate and a good deal more rigid. However, getting them in and out of the pack and assembled on the tripod is a drag. I found it impossible to judge between the two until I owned both, and then decided that usually I couldn't be bothered with the monorail, except for skyscraper architecture.

    Two drastically different monorails that are fun to consider are the Arca-Swiss (deluxe) and the Gowland (minimalist). The standard A-S has a giant lensboard, and the Gowland has a small or (older models) tiny lensboard. The "field" model A-S (is it still available?), the one with the front standard stolen from the 6x9 model, and consequently with a tapered bellows, I think is the best choice for field work, and a very good choice indeed. Of course the smaller, the easier to pack, too.

    What I personally use is a Walker Titan, which I find adequately rigid. I avoid using it with huge lenses, however, like my G-Claron 355mm, which strain its rigidity. That's really too big a lens for backpacking anyways.

    Good luck,

  4. #14

    Camera Rigidity

    I live in north-central Colorado near the Wyoming line and have had some experience with wind. My experience shows that camera choice can be important for success in windy areas.

    I used a Linhof Technika from 1972 through 1975. The lightweight folding wood field cameras from Japan hit the market in the mid '70s and sounded like just what I needed to reduce my load. So I sold the Linhof and used a Nagaoka, Ikeda, and Zone VI Wista (in that order) from 1976 through mid-1979. Those cameras were returned for refunds as wood split, warped, or otherwise misbehaved in an arid climate. My only 4x5 camera from late-1979 through 1993 was a Toyo-Field 45A, an excellent, almost bullet-proof camera that I still own and use. I lightened my pack a little when I started using a Baby Deardorff for my hiking camera in 1994.

    During that 30+ year period, the only images I have lost to wind shake were ones taken with the light field cameras in the 1976-1979 period. I used the same Tiltall tripod from 1976 through 1997, so the tripod was not a variable.

    My feeling is that a rigid front standard is the key to beating wind as any jiggle at the lens will be magnified many times at the film plane. The Linhof and Toyo lock down solidly at the base of the front standard, and the Deardorff has a stout piano hinge the entire width of the front standard that, at least on mine, has no play at all. The cameras that caused trouble for me had a hinge at the base of the front standard that consisted of a pin through a hole in a thin metal plate and all exhibited a little slop at that point.

    If I had to replace the Baby Deardorff and buy a camera for hiking, I'd get the metal Canham. It is lighter than the Toyo, has longer bellows, and I really like the way the front standard locks down. The Ebony may be just as solid, but I've never seen one so have no personal experience with it to report on.

  5. #15

    Camera Rigidity

    A used Sinar F or earlier can be bought for $300 to $600. It works well & can be taken apart if you want for smaller storage. Not a 'field camera' according to some but used by many in the field without problems. A ton of movement & a solid camera.

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